When everyone is responsible, no one is responsible. The RACI Matrix eliminates ambiguity by assigning exactly one role per person per deliverable: Responsible (does the work), Accountable (owns the outcome — only one person), Consulted (provides input before the decision), Informed (told after the decision). It's especially valuable in matrix organisations where marketing works across product, sales, and external agencies.
When to use this framework
→You're launching a cross-functional project and roles are unclear
→Work is falling through the cracks because ownership is ambiguous
→You're onboarding a new agency and need to define ways of working
→You're restructuring the marketing team and need to map responsibilities
→You're running a campaign with multiple stakeholders and need clear handoffs
What project, campaign, or ongoing workstream is this RACI for?
Annual INBOUND Conference Marketing Campaign
List all people or roles involved. Include internal team, agencies, and key stakeholders.
1. VP Marketing (Sarah) — overall campaign owner
2. Events Marketing Manager (James) — day-to-day campaign lead
3. Content Marketing Lead (Priya) — content creation and speaker promotion
4. Demand Gen Manager (Marcus) — paid media and registration targets
5. Brand Design Lead (Kim) — creative and visual identity
6. Product Marketing Director (Alex) — product keynote and demo content
7. PR Agency (Edelman team) — media relations and speaker PR
8. CMO (Kipp) — executive sponsor and keynote speaker
List the main deliverables, decisions, or tasks. These become the rows of your RACI.
1. Campaign strategy and budget
2. Creative concept and visual identity
3. Speaker lineup and programming
4. Registration campaign (paid + organic)
5. Media and PR plan
6. Product announcements and demos
7. Post-event content and follow-up
8. Campaign performance report
2. RACI Assignments
For each deliverable, assign R, A, C, or I to each team member. Rules: only ONE 'A' per row. At least one 'R' per row.
Name the deliverable and assign R/A/C/I for each team member.
Deliverable: Campaign Strategy & Budget
Responsible: James (Events Marketing Manager) — drafts strategy and budget
Accountable: Sarah (VP Marketing) — approves strategy and signs off on budget
Consulted: Marcus (Demand Gen), Priya (Content), Alex (Product Marketing) — input on targets and content strategy
Informed: CMO Kipp (informed of final strategy), PR Agency (informed to align their plan)
Name the deliverable and assign R/A/C/I for each team member.
Deliverable: Creative Concept & Visual Identity
Responsible: Kim (Brand Design Lead) — creates concepts and brand toolkit
Accountable: James (Events Marketing Manager) — owns creative direction and approval
Consulted: Sarah (VP Marketing) — reviews creative direction. Priya (Content) — ensures content needs are met
Informed: PR Agency (receives brand toolkit). Marcus (Demand Gen) — receives assets for ads
Name the deliverable and assign R/A/C/I for each team member.
Deliverable: Speaker Lineup & Programming
Responsible: James (Events Marketing Manager) — curates speaker list and manages invitations
Accountable: Sarah (VP Marketing) — final approval on keynote speakers and agenda
Consulted: Alex (Product Marketing) — product keynote content. CMO Kipp — executive keynote. PR Agency — speaker PR angles
Informed: Kim (Design) — speaker graphics needed. Marcus (Demand Gen) — speaker names for promotion
Name the deliverable and assign R/A/C/I for each team member.
Deliverable: Registration Campaign (Paid + Organic)
Responsible: Marcus (Demand Gen Manager) — runs paid campaigns and optimises registration funnel
Accountable: Marcus (Demand Gen Manager) — owns registration target (15,000 attendees)
Consulted: James (Events) — messaging and offers. Priya (Content) — organic content promotion
Informed: Sarah (VP Marketing) — weekly registration dashboards. Kim (Design) — ad creative needs
Name the deliverable and assign R/A/C/I for each team member.
Deliverable: Media & PR Plan
Responsible: PR Agency (Edelman) — media outreach, press kits, journalist hosting
Accountable: James (Events Marketing Manager) — owns PR outcomes and message alignment
Consulted: Sarah (VP Marketing) — approves media strategy. Alex (Product Marketing) — product announcement timing
Informed: CMO Kipp — briefed before media interviews. Marcus (Demand Gen) — press coverage for amplification
3. RACI Validation
Check your matrix for common problems.
Does anyone have too many R's or A's? If one person is Accountable for everything, the RACI isn't working.
James (Events Marketing Manager) is Accountable for 5 of 8 deliverables — this is a lot but appropriate as he's the dedicated campaign lead. Flag: ensure he has support and isn't a bottleneck. Marcus is both R and A for registration — correct, as he owns the number end-to-end. No individual is overloaded on R assignments.
Are there deliverables with no R? Deliverables with multiple A's? Decisions where no one is Consulted who should be?
Gap identified: Post-event content (deliverable 7) — Priya should be R, James A, but initially no one was assigned. Fixed. Overlap risk: Both James and PR Agency could claim 'A' for media coverage — resolved by making James A (internal accountability) and PR Agency R (does the work).
When R and A disagree, or when a deadline is at risk, what's the escalation path?
Level 1: R raises issue with A → resolve within 24 hours. Level 2: A escalates to Sarah (VP Marketing) if cross-functional conflict. Level 3: Sarah escalates to CMO Kipp only for budget overruns >20% or programme changes affecting keynote. Weekly 30-min standup (James chairs) to surface issues early.
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